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FIVE ESSENTIAL SKILLS THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU IN ANY CAREER

Many of the things you learn in school and on the job qualify you to do specific things. However, no matter what career path you plan to follow, certain characteristics can be great assets. These are skills that you might specifically pursue or ones unknowingly acquired as you spend more time studying and working.

Here are five talents that can prove highly beneficial for you in many positions:

Written and Verbal Communication

Some jobs require a great deal of written work and some do not. However, even ones in the latter category do need some degree of skill when it comes to communicating on paper or electronically. Even if you are just filling out a requisition form, people must understand you clearly.

Just about all employers demand workers who can express themselves verbally with some degree of clarity and confidence. This is the sort of skill gained from experience, but organizations such as Toastmasters are also an excellent way to improve your speaking skills in a friendly and encouraging environment.

Time Management

Most positions require workers to do many different things during the day, and many of these have deadlines. Your ability to perform these talks successfully and on time often depends on how good you are at scheduling.

Are you punctual? Are you able to juggle the demands of your job with your responsibilities outside of the workplace? Believe it or not, your personal life can have a major influence on how well you do your work.

Lifelong Learning

Are you a curious person interested in always learning new things? This is a huge asset for any job. Many employers offer optional training for employees. These not only improve the skills they need for their specific position, but can also increase their level of professionalism.

Employers are always happy to see their workers take advantage of such opportunities. They also really respect employees who show extra initiative and pursue additional learning on their own time.

Critical Thinking Skills

If you ever hope to have any sort of supervisory position, critical thinking skills are a must. The ability to analyze and evaluate a situation, and then make a decision on how to proceed, is a basic ability for anyone who oversees a team of workers.

If you wish to improve your critical thinking skills, you can practice different techniques, such as:

Thinking in detail about how things work

Being open to other opinions

Planning ahead so that you are well-prepared for any emergency or change in plans

Double check sources of information you do not fully trust

Teamwork and Independent Work

Do you function well in a team or do you work better on your own? Depending on your job, one of these skills will likely be essential. It is even better if you are proficient at both. Chances are you already have some experience in these areas from your days in school and at various jobs. However, if you feel you need more practice, seek out volunteering opportunities that include such facets.

The more skills you possess, the better suited you are to any number of different work environments. While you may land a position where you stay with a company for many years, a growing number of Canadians now change jobs quite commonly. The more abilities you have and the more you expand upon them as the years go by, the better able you will be to land a position that you find fully satisfying.

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